"I want to be fighting for this Vuelta" - Richard Carapaz growing in strength and confidence in quest for 2nd Grand Tour victory

He might have started somewhat slowly at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana, but Richard Carapaz is growing into the final Grand Tour of the year. With the first week done, the Ecuadorian is now up to 3rd overall, just 4:32 off the Red Jersey of Ben O'Connor.

“I understand that we have already had the worst days of heat. I hope to be able to improve, because it is one of my virtues, and to find better legs," assesses the EF Education-EasyPost leader and former Giro d'Italia winner in conversation with AS on the first rest day of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. "There are many stages that I like and I want to be fighting for this Vuelta.”

Whilst he wasn't competing for the general classification at the Tour de France earlier this summer, Carapaz starred, winning both stage 17 and taking home the King of the Mountains jersey also. “After the falls, after everything I have had to go through this year, it is being a good season for me and I am enjoying it,” Carapaz reflects.

With EF Education-EasyPost having lost both Rui Costa and Rigoberto Uran from this Grand Tour following separate crashes however, much of the team's hopes of success rest on the shoulders of Carapaz. Although that brings with it extra pressures, the Ecuadorian is intent on making a success of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana for his team. "We are still fighting," he concludes determinedly. "There is still a lot of mountains to come."

With 9 stages down, Carapaz is as mentioned, currently sitting 3rd overall after his long range attack on Sunday's stage 9 saw him pull back two minutes and six seconds in the general classification. As the race enters terrain that suits him in the coming weeks, expect more attacking and aggressive riding from Carapaz in the stages to come.